Oven door window



March 17, 1959 D. SCHIBLEY I 2,877,761

OVEN DOOR WINDOW Filed June 14; 1957 OVEN DOOR WINDOW Raymond D. Schibley, Ashland, Ohio, assignor to Westinghouse Electric Corporation, East Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application June 14, 1957, Serial No. 665,803

4 Claims. (Cl. 126-200) This invention relates to window units in general and in particular to an improved double panel window unit of the type utilized in an oven door; and it has for an object to provide improved apparatus of this kind.

A further object is to provide an improved window construction of this type utilizing a minimum number of parts and which is of low cost.

Another object is to provide an improved window unit of the kind set forth that is simple in construction and easy to assemble in the oven door.

One embodiment of the present invention is incorporated in an oven door comprising outer and inner door panels having flanges encompassing a window unit. The window unit comprises a channel-shaped member with rims carried by the flanges, one of the rims having integral tabs extending through the flange of the outer door panel. The channel member spaces parallel glass panels and is provided with grooves in which are placed suitable gaskets. The glass panels are biased against the gaskets by trim strips which have integral tabs extending through the rims of the channel member and through the flanges. In this manner, the glass panels are properly positioned and supported within the oven door.

The foregoing and other objects are effected by the invention as will be apparent from the following description and claims taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application, in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevation of a portion of the oven door, illustrating the window unit incorporating the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged section taken along the line H-II of Fig. 1 and looking in the direction indicated by the arrows;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary elevation viewed from the plane IIIIII of Fig. 1, as indicated by the arrows, but omitting the glass panels, gaskets and trim strips;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary elevation of the apparatus illustrated in Fig. 1, in which a portion of the structure has been broken away to show certain details;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged section taken along the lines VV of Figs. 1 and 3, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows, but including the glass panels, gaskets and trim strips;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged section of a portion of the apparatus illustrated in Fig. 2; and

Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary section, taken along the line VII-VII of Fig. 1 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Referring to the drawings in detail and in particular to Figs. 1 and 2, there is illustrated an area of an insulated wall structure or oven door having a window unit. The oven door comprises parallel and spaced inner and outer door panels 11 and 12, respectively, held in spaced relation by suitable means, not illustrated. The panels 11 and 12 are provided with an opening 14 defined by respective inwardly projecting and opposed flanges 15 and 16, integral with the inner and outer door panels lland 12.

States Patent ICE The window unit is placed within the opening 14, being supported by the flanges 15 and 16. It includes a pair of parallel glass or transparent panels 18, spaced from each other by a continuous channel-shaped member 21, which is provided with outwardly converging side walls 22, as illustrated by Figs. 2, 5 and 6. Integral with the side walls 22 and extending laterally therefrom are rims 24 and 25, which encompass the glass panels 18 and are supported by the flanges 15 and 16. The rims 24 and 25 have margins which extend beyond the glass panels 18. The side walls 22 and the rims 24 and 25 define surfaces of continuous grooves within which are placed con tinuous gaskets 29 of suitable resilient material, such as asbestos.

The rim 25 is provided with three integral tabs or projections 31, one on each side and the bottom, as viewed in Fig. 1, extending through suitable openings or aper tures 33 in the flange 16, as illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5.

The glass panels 18 are biased toward each other and the gaskets 29 maintained in compression by two trim or clamping strips 36, which bear against the outer surfaces 37 of the glass panel 18. Each trim strip 36 has six integral tabs or projections 38 extending through suit able openings or apertures 41 in the rim 24 or 25 and the openings 33 in the flange 15 or 16, as illustrated by Figs. 5 and 6. The openings 33 and 41 are provided adjacent the outer surfaces 37 of the glass panels 18. Each trim strip 36 is provided with a surface which contacts the flange 15 or 16.

At the left and the right side of the window unit, as viewed in Fig. 1, the tabs 38 extend through the flange 16 and rim 25 and the tabs 31 extend through the flange 16. As illustrated in Fig. 5, the tabs 31 abut the walls which define the right side of the openings 33 in the flange 16. The gaskets 29, glass panels 18, openings 33 and 41, and the tabs 31 and 38 are of sufiicient size and arranged so that the gaskets are maintained in compression and the glass panels 18 are biased toward the gaskets.

On the left-hand side, as viewed in Fig. 5, the tabs 38 are biased against the walls defining the left side of the openings 33 in the flange 16 but are clear of the walls defining openings 41 in the rim 25 and the trim strip exerts a force upon the glass panel and gasket which maintains the gasket in compression. Thus the tabs 38 and 31 which extend through the openings 33 in the flange 16 are biased against opposite walls of the openings 33 and the window unit is fixed to the outer door panel 12. On the right-hand side, as viewed in Fig. 5, the tabs 38 are biased against the walls defining the right sides of the openings 41 in the rim 24, but are clear of the walls defining the openings 33 in the flange 15 and the trim strip exerts a force upon the glass panel and gasket which maintains the gasket in compression.

A section taken along the line a-a of Fig. 1 would be the same as Fig. 5, except that the tabs 38 would be omitted.

The top and bottom portions of the trim strips 36, as illustrated in Fig. l, are each provided with two spaced tabs 38 which extend through the rims 24 and 25 and flanges 15 and 16, as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 6. In other words, at these locations, as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 6, the tabs 31 (which are illustrated in Fig. 5) are omitted.

The openings 33 in the flange 15 are made in the form of notches, as illustrated by Fig. 3. The present invention has been incorporated in an oven door which is constructed so that, when the door is heated, the inner door panel deforms and moves to the right, as viewed in Fig. 3, relative to the outer door panel 12 and the rim 24,

alongthe surface of the trim strip which contacts the Patented Mar. 17, 1959 I flange 15 but does not alter the position of the trim strip. Thus, the gaskets are maintained in compression as the door first deforms (on heating) and then returns to its normal shape (on cooling), since the bias upon the trim strips is not affected by movement of the inner door panel.

The trim strips 36 are made approximately V-shape in cross section, as illustrated in Figs. 2, 5 and 6. One of the legs of each V is substantially vertical and abuts the outer surface 37 of the glass panels 18, and is provided with the integral tabs 38. The other leg of each V is oblique to the vertical leg and covers the margin of the rim 24 or 25. The legs of the trim strips 36 which abut the glass panels provide large bearing surfaces for the biasing forces and for the momentum forces which may occasionally be imposed upon the glass panels when the door is opened or closed abruptly. The tabs 38 and 31 which extend through the flange l6 transmit the forces to the outer door panel 12.

The rim 24 may be provided with four integral tabs 45, two on the top and two on the bottom, as viewed in Fig. 1. One of the glass panels 18 and one of the gaskets 29 are positioned on the rim 24 and biased against one of the side walls 22 by the tabs 45, as illustrated by Fig. 7. The tabs 45 insure that the associated panel and gasket will remain in proper position when the door is closed abruptly. The trim strip 36 associated with the rim 24 and the flange 11 is provided with notches 47 for the purpose of accommodating the tabs 45.

The window unit is assembled by first placing one of the gaskets 29 and one of the panels 18 in position on the rim 24, and securing them by the tabs 45. In assembling the channel member 21 to the panels 11 and 12, the member 21 is deformed until the tabs 31 snap into the openings 33 in the flange 16, thus preliminarily securing the channel member 21 within the opening 14, so that the remainder of the unit may be easily assembled. Thereafter, another of the gaskets 29 is placed with another of the glass panels 18 in its proper position on the rim 25. The trim strips 36 are then assembled by deforming them and inserting their tabs 38 through the openings 33 and 41.

It will be noted that the tabs 31 position the channel member in the door panels during the initial assembly operations and, in addition, cooperate with the tabs 38 of the trim strips 36 to permanently secure and fix the window unit to the door panels 11 and 12. In this manner, the trim strips 36 are utilized to retain and secure the window structure in its final position, and to provide a pleasing appearance in that all of the tabs which are utilized in the structure are hidden from view and the trim strips cover the margins of the rims.

While the invention has been shown in but one form, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit thereof.

What is claimed is:

1. In an oven door structure, an outer door panel and an inner door panel, said panels having registering window openings, each panel having an inwardly extending flange defining the periphery of the opening therein, a window structure aligned with said openings comprising; spaced and parallel glass panels, a channel-shaped member having side walls, said side walls being disposed between said glass panels and having laterally extending opposed rims, said rims surrounding and supporting said glass panels, said side walls defining with said rims continuous grooves, resilient gaskets in said grooves and providing a seal between said side walls and said glass panels, said rims having margins extending beyond said glass panels, one of said rims having tabs extending through openings in the adjacent flange, said rims and .said flanges having aligned apertures, the apertures in the flange of the one panel having walls opposed to the apertures in the rim supported by the o her panel, and op.-

posed trim strips abutting said glass panels and having integral projections extending through the aligned apertures of said rims and said flanges, said projections bearing against said opposed walls so that said glass panels are maintained in sealing relation with said gaskets, and said trim strips having integral legs covering the margins of said rims.

2. A window unit for use in an oven door; said oven door comprising; an outer and an inner door panel each having a Window opening in alignment with the opening in the other, each of the panels having an inwardly extending flange around the edge of the opening therein, a window unit aligned with said openings comprising; spaced and parallel glass panels, a continuous channelshaped member having outwardly converging side walls between said glass panels, said side walls having laterally extending rim portions, said side walls and rim portions defining surfaces of grooves, continuous resilient gaskets in the grooves between said side walls and said glass panels and providing seals therebetween; said rim portions encompassing the glass panels and having margins extending beyond the periphery of the glass panels and supporting the latter; said rims being carried by said flanges, said rims and said flanges having aligned apertures, said apertures in said outer door panel flange having opposed walls, said rim supported by said outer door panel flange being biased against one of said opposed walls thereby restraining movement in one direction, and continuous clamping strips having approximately a V shape in cross-section, said clamping strips having legs provided with integral projections extending through the aligned apertures and abutting said glass panels, the clamping strip adjacent the outer door panel having projections biased against the other of said opposed walls in said outer door flange, said apertures in said rim supported by the inner door panel having a wall facing said opposed walls, the clamping strip adjacent the inner door panel having projections biased by the wall facing said opposed walls, and said clamping strips having other legs covering the margins of said rims.

3. A window unit for use in an oven door; said oven door comprising; outer and inner door panel each having a window opening in alignment with the opening in the other, each of the panels having an inwardly extending flange around the edge of the opening therein, a window unit aligned with said openings comprising; spaced and parallel glass panels, a continuous channelshaped member having outwardly converging side walls between said glass panels, said side Walls having laterally extending rim portions, said side walls and rim portions defining surfaces of grooves, continuous resilient gaskets in the grooves between said side walls and said glass panels and providing seals therebetween; said rim portions encompassing the glass panels and having margins extending beyond the periphery of the glass panels and supporting the latter; said rims being carried by said flanges, one of said rims having integral tabs biasing one of said glass panels and one of said gaskets against one of said side walls, said rims and said flanges having aligned apertures, said apertures in said outer door panel flange having opposed walls, said rim supported by said outer door panel flange being biased against one of said opposed walls thereby restraining movement in one direction, continuous clamping strips having approximately a V shape in cross-section, said clamping strips having legs provided with integral projections extending through the aligned apertures and abutting said glass panels, the clamping strip adjacent the outer door panel having projections biased against the other of said opposed walls in said .outer door flange, said apertures in said rim supported by the inner door panel having a wall facing said other of said opposed walls, the clamping strip adjacent the inner door panel having projections biased by the last mentioned wall, and said clamping strips having otherlegs covering the margins of said rims.

4. An insulated wall structure comprising first and second spaced panels having first and second opposed flanges, respectively, defining aligned openings in the panels, a window structure placed within the openings comprising: a pair of transparent panels, a channelshaped member having a portion between said transparent panels, said channel-shaped member including side walls and opposed lateral rims extending therefrom, said rims being supported directly by said flanges, said side walls and rims providing grooves, gaskets in the grooves between said side walls and said transparent panels and providing seals therebetween, said rims and said flanges having aligned openings, means for securing said channel-shaped member to said first flange, said second flange having openings sufliciently large in the direction transverse to said window structure to permit movement of said second flange due to thermal expansion and contraction relative to the rim supported by said second flange, said aligned openings in the first flange and the rim supported thereby including wall structure opposed to wall structure of the openings in the rim supported by said second flange, trim strips bearing against opposite sides of said transparent panels and including legs having integral tabs extending through the aligned openings of said rims and said flanges, movement of said legs being restricted by said opposed wall structure, and said trim strips having other legs integral with the first said legs and covering the outer edges of said rims.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 818,844 McKeown Apr. 24, 1906 1,299,448 Forsyth Apr. 8, 1919 2,612,154 Mills Sept. 30, 1952 

